Stratford’s Sy’air James is going to be a key for Stratford this season. (File photo Hearst Connecticut Media)
Vitals
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COACH — JACK PETION (3rd year, 5-15)
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CONFERENCE — SWC Division I
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PLAYOFF CLASS — Class L (536 boys enrollment)
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HOME — Penders Field, Stratford
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2018 RECORD — 1-9
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2019 OPENER — Sept. 13 vs. Notre Dame-Fairfield, 7 p.m.
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TEAM WEBSITES — Maxpreps | Stratford Football; TWITTER — @PetionJack
Top Players
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DA’QUIN ELLO, Sr., OL/DL, (6-3, 300)
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JAH’KI ROGERS, Sr., TE/LB, (6-3, 185)
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TOMMY COX, Jr., OL/LB, (6-1, 200)
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KALEB LAFONTANT, Jr., RB/DB, (5-10, 170)
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SY’AIR JAMES, So., FB/LB (6-0, 225)
Key Losses
Jack Ryan QB, Ryan Wechter WR/DB, Nick Sorrentino LB/FB, Jervon Speed DB/WR, Jasen Docteur WR/DB, Jack DeLise OL/DL
Outlook
Jack Petion believes his players put in the right amount of work to adequately prepare for this season.
The only question is, will the results show?
Petion is juggling a roster in flux, which has complicated matters as he tries to turn Stratford back into a winner. The Red Devils — who are just 5-15 since Petion took over prior to 2017 — won only once last year and now must replace most of their core players.
There are changes on both sides of the ball, including quarterback, where Trey Lanham is taking over for Jack Ryan. While Lanham, a 6-foot sophomore, has yet to take a varsity snap, Petion sees him as a natural leader.
“(We’re) expecting big things from him in the near future,” the coach said in an email.
The rest of the offense is shrouded in even more uncertainty. Both the running back and receiver jobs are up for grabs, and the offensive line will need to be rebuilt. The defense is also in the process of being revamped after cornerbacks Jasen Docteur and Ryan Wechter and lineman Jack DeLise departed.
In other words, the Red Devils have plenty to determine before their Sept. 13 season-opener against Notre Dame-Fairfield at Penders Field.
“We have (six) seniors and will have a lot of first-time varsity starters out there,” Petion said. “We will see how quickly we can grasp the speed of a varsity game and react to adverse situations.”
Petion said the varsity roster is at just 30, meaning several players will see significant time on both sides of the ball. This includes OL/DL Da’Quin Ello and TE/LB Jah’ki Rogers — both seniors.
In addition to Stratford’s SWC rivals, most of which will played in November, a good portion of the schedule features scheduling alliance crossover games vs. SCC squads. In fact, the Red Devils will play those four SCC opponents — Branford, Foran, Hillhouse and East Haven — over six weeks at midseason.
2019 Schedule
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Sept. 13 — NOTRE DAME-FAIRFIELD*, 7 p.m.
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Sept. 20 — at Branford, 7 p.m.
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Sept. 27 — at Foran, 7 p.m.
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Oct. 4 — WESTON*, 7 p.m.
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Oct. 18 — HILLHOUSE, 7 p.m.
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Oct. 25 — EAST HAVEN, 7 p.m.
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Nov. 1 — at Newtown**, 7 p.m.
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Nov. 8 — at Joel Barlow*, 7 p.m.
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Nov. 15 — at New Fairfield*, 7 p.m.
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Nov. 28 — BUNNELL**, 10 a.m.
